Snapshots
by Elfprinzess
Summary: 200 word drabbles about random things that pop into my head. Please read and review. Mainly centered around Merlin. NEWEST CHAPTER - I'm not stupid
1. Chapter 1  Go ahead and waggle

**Hello there,**

**These chapters are just series of drabbles, oneshots, all 200 words exactly in length. These are all just random things, some AU, some canon, some just pure nonsense. Please read and review, it would mean a lot to me.**

**Some of these drabbles are angst, others humour and others are just characters' thoughts during certain scenes in the movie.**

**I don't own anything you recognise. Merlin doesn't belong to me, it belongs to big hotshot TV people who wear suits and can incinerate me with a glare.**

**Warning: Some stories may contain mature language, but nothing too graphic.**

"Merlin!" Arthur called out.

There was a huge crash and Arthur entered his room to find his armour all over the floor, and Merlin standing in the middle of the mess.

"Pick it all up, clean and polish it. I expect everything to reflect my surface tomorrow." Arthur sighed, not surprised at his clumsy servant.

"Of course, sire." Merlin muttered, keeping his head down. He knelt down and began collecting the armour, not noticing that Arthur hadn't left yet.

"OK, what's wrong now?" Arthur sighed.

"Nothing, I just finished cleaning them and have to redo it all." Merlin shrugged.

"Can't you just, I don't know, waggle your fingers and have it all done?" Arthur asked, gesturing with his hand.

"What do you mean by that?" Merlin chuckled nervously.

"With your magic, Merlin. Seriously. You're such an idiot if you don't realise that you can do your chores like that, as long as no one catches you." Arthur shrugged.

Merlin stared at him open mouthed. "What?" Merlin asked, confused.

"Merlin, you can't hide anything from me. As long as you don't make me prance around like a girl, we're fine. Don't forget to clean my boots." Arthur ordered as he left.


	2. Chapter 2  The truth

"Arthur, thank you." Merlin called out, catching up to the prince.

"For what exactly?" Arthur asked.

"For…" Merlin started to say.

"Lying to my father to save your worthless hide?" Arthur interrupted, turning to face the servant and glare angrily at him.

"Yeah." Merlin sighed, realising the Prince was angry.

"If you ever put me in that position again, I'll clap you in irons myself." Arthur growled. "And Merlin, you better hope we find that crystal." Arthur stalked off, angry.

Flashes of telling Arthur the truth and being burned alive flared in Merlin's mind. He swallowed whatever protests he had and kept silent. Nodding once, Merlin muttered, "Yes sire, of course." Then he fled, running down the corridor and out into the courtyard. Entering the stables, the servant climbed up the stable loft and curled up behind some hay bales, hurt and betrayal stabbing in his chest. He desperately wanted to tell Arthur that he wasn't useless, that he could help, that he did help. All those times when Arthur found him hanging back, he had been fighting back. Fighting and saving Arthur and his knights. but it would never happen. He could never tell Arthur the truth now. Never.


	3. Chapter 3  Help

Merlin landed hard, on his knees. His palms had fallen out to break his fall and were stinging from the sudden impact. The basket of recently cleaned clothes tumbled out onto the dirty floor and Merlin bit back a cry of pain and despair. If he didn't finish on time, Arthur would get rid of him, give his job to Cedric. But to do all his chores he needed to have these clothes clean. But now they would take another day to dry.

He sighed, and tipped the basket upright. All the clothes had tumbled out. He began picking the now dirty clothes up again. Hands entered his vision as another knelt beside him and helped him pick them up.

"Come on, Merlin. I'll clean this again, you go start his armour. There's some spare sheets that are drying at the moment that will be dry soon so we can use those, and we can put his wet clothes in front of Lady Morgana's fire, she won't mind." Gwen said, helping Merlin up and handing him the basket.

Merlin looked at Gwen and smiled, despite the tears in his eyes. "Thank you Gwen." He whispered, relieved someone noticed his struggle.


	4. Chapter 4  Leave the sleeping warlock

"Merlin, I need you to –" Gaius started to call out, entering the boy's room to find the boy curled up on his bed, cloth in hand, Arthur's boots in the other. Armour glinted around the room and clothes were laid out drying. Gaius sighed, and smiled softly at the boy. Gently removing the boots and clothes, Gaius pulled back the covers and gently covered the boy, leaving the tired servant sleeping. Slowly gathering up the armour, bit by bit so they didn't wake him up, Gaius took them outside.

An hour later, Arthur turned up, looking for Merlin and his armour.

"Gaius, where is my lazy servant?" Arthur demanded, looking around for him.

"Sleeping, sire. The poor boy is exhausted." Gaius told him. "He cleaned your armour and your clothes are drying." Gaius told him. "Leave him be for a while, he needs the sleep."

"I know, I keep waiting for him to turn around and tell me he has too many chores but he never does." Arthur sighed. "Tell him he can take tomorrow off."

"Very well, sire. I will tell him."

Arthur grabbed his stuff and left. Merlin left his room moments later, yawning. "Was that Arthur?"


	5. Chapter 5  Happy Birthday Warlock!

"Merlin."

No response.

"Merlin."

Silence.

"Merlin!"

"hmm?" Merlin asked, turning around to see the Prince, the King, Gaius, Morgana and Gwen standing in the doorway to Arthur's room. "Sire?" Merlin asked, glancing from each person, beginning to freak out.

"We have something to tell you." Gwen spoke up, surprisingly, due to the fact the King was in the room.

"What?" Merlin asked, slightly worried.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MERLIN! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!" All five of them burst into song.

"Hip-hip!"

"Hooray!"

"Hip-hip!"

"Hooray!"

"Hip-hip!"

"Hooray!"

"WOOOOO!" They all cheered and clapped, running over to Merlin to hug him, even Uther.

"Ahh, thank you?" Merlin asked, confused.

"We realised it was your birthday so here we are." Morgana explained.

"So, Happy Birthday, young Warlock." Uther grinned, hugging Merlin briefly before gripping his hands and starting to twirl and skip around, singing "For he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, for he's a jolly good fellow, and so say all of us!"

Merlin woke with a gasp, jerking out of his dream and bed with shock. He shuddered, in memory of his dream. Never again would Merlin drink Gaius' tea.


	6. Chapter 6  Knights and their guidelines

Geoffrey hid his nerves as all the other Knights crowded around him.

"Listen up, we're going to give you a heads up here. In a moment, Prince Arthur is going to come out here and we'll start our training session. The things you need to know is don't even touch his servant, Merlin. The Prince will make your life a living hell and then kill you." Leon warned the new knight.

"He's clumsy, get over it. He drops something, don't even yell at him. Not only is it like kicking a puppy, the Prince will kill you." Gwaine spoke up.

"Merlin can get away with insulting the Prince, we can't." Alden warned.

Leon went to say something else but stopped due to the Prince and Merlin approaching. Geoffrey stared at the approaching pair, feeling extremely nervous, and avoided looking at them.

Arthur stalked right up to Geoffrey and shoved his own face into Geoffrey's, "You touch him, you're dead. Understand?" the Prince growled. Geoffrey nodded. "Get ready to train."

"Arthur, I can look after myself you know." Merlin called out from his position on the bench, armour in his lap, ready to be cleaned.

"No you can't." Arthur grumbled back.


	7. Chapter 7  Sneaking around in red

Merlin watched as Arthur snuck out of the castle, his red cloak flaring out behind him. 15 minutes later, Gwen's red cloak covering her face as she crept in the shadows out of the castle.

'_Someone needs to teach the people of this castle a few things._

_How to creep around inconspicuously._

_How to protect/guard things better._

_And_

_How to arrange meetings without gaining any attention.'_

Merlin followed them, eventually leaving the city and reaching their meeting place in the forest. The two people were embracing each other, in the dark it was hard to see if they were just hugging, or kissing as well. Merlin supressed the urge to jump out and scream boo, teaching them a lesson about hiding the obvious. He kept watch around them as they grew completely oblivious to the outside world and only focused on each other.

After 30 minutes of them sitting, talking and kissing, Merlin threw a rock towards them, waking them up. Merlin used his magic to convince the patrol to walk around Arthur and Gwen's hiding place as Gwen left, leaving Arthur alone as he waited 10 minutes before following her cautiously.

'_Some people were so oblivious.'_


	8. Chapter 8  Singing

**I don't own anything you recognise – Merlin, or the songs. The first song is Superman, It's Not Easy, by Fighting For Five, and the second song is Little Wonders by Rob Thomas.**

**Read and review please.**

"_It may sound absurd...but don't be naive  
>Even Heroes have the right to bleed<br>I may be disturbed...but won't you concede  
>Even Heroes have the right to dream"<em>

"Merlin?" Arthur asked, walking in on his servant cleaning his room. While the boy was singing.

The servant froze, and he stopped singing. "Sire, what's wrong?"

"What were you doing?" Arthur demanded.

"Nothing. Cleaning your chambers." Merlin shrugged, eyes wide and trying to appear innocent.

"You were singing."

"No I wasn't." Merlin denied.

"Yes you were." Arthur insisted.

"No I wasn't."

"Yes you were."

"No I wasn't."

"Merlin, you were singing, just admit it. I didn't know you could sing." Arthur casually leaned against the table, watching the servant make the bed.

"I can't, not very well." Merlin bit his lip, a little nervous and a little embarrassed.

"You sounded pretty good." Arthur shrugged. "Make sure to clean my armour." Arthur stood.

"Of course, sire."

As Arthur was leaving, he heard Merlin's soft voice singing again.

"_let it go,let it roll right off your shoulder  
>don't you know, the hardest part is over<br>let it in, let your clarity define you  
>in the end, we will only just remember how it feels"<em>


	9. Chapter 9 Territorial Manticores Part 1

**This one is in two parts. Thank you to those who reviewed.**

**Please read and review.**

"Arthur?" Merlin asked, as they sat shoulder to shoulder, leaning against the wall, weapons gripped in sweaty hands.

Lancelot, Gwaine and Leon watched as the Prince turned to his manservant, who was staring straight ahead. Crashes as the manticores started breaking down the barricade faded into the background.

"What is it Merlin?" Arthur asked.

"Promise me something?" Merlin asked, turning to look at him, his face open, scared and pleading.

The Knights and Prince realised just how young the manservant was, and innocent. They had all trained for this, and had been in battle before, but Merlin, he hadn't. "Of course, what is it?"

"Promise me that no matter what happens, you won't think of me differently?" Merlin asked, turning his head away.

"They're only creatures, you should feel no shame attacking them." Arthur told him, trying to comfort him.

Merlin shook his head and let out a bitter laugh. "That's not what I meant."

"Merlin, what are you going on about?" Arthur demanded, a little scared at the complete and utter defeat written across Merlin's face.

"It isn't your destiny to die here Arthur Pendragon. You are going to become the Once and Future King of Albion." Merlin whispered

**TBC**


	10. Chapter 10 Territorial Manticores Part 2

**Part 2, enjoy **

"You will unite all the kingdoms and magic into one land that will be peaceful and fruitful. Your destiny isn't to die here in this abandoned castle because some manticores became territorial and I was a coward." Merlin told him seriously before looking over at Lancelot and saying, "Keep him safe please." He pushed himself up of the floor, and threw his sword away, just as the door burst open and the manticores charged in.

"NO!" Arthur screamed, struggling to move. Glancing up at Merlin, Arthur realised his eyes were flashing gold.

"Damn it Merlin, let us go, we can help." Lancelot cursed, realising the warlock was holding them still and out of danger.

Merlin's eyes flashed gold and one of the five manticores imploded. Another flash and a second one burst into flames and burned into ashes. Within minutes all the manticores were dead, Merlin having blown them up or set them on fire or stabbed them with floating knives or something.

Lancelot got up and hugged the boy, "Well done Merlin."

However, he was ignored as Merlin turned to Arthur, "Sorry for lying."

Arthur stood up and hugged the man. "Don't you dare do that again, you idiot."


	11. Chapter 11 Treason must be punished pt 1

**This one is in a couple of parts, so enjoy. (It's a little angsty, so be warned)**

Guards yanked on the chains, dragging the sorcerer up the steps to the pyre that was built specifically for him to burn on. Tears streamed from everyone's eyes. The boy was the most friendly, selfless, generous, hard-working person that they had known. He had helped the blacksmith when he needed another pair of hands to build a fire. He had helped the tailor fold clothes before breakfast. He had helped the cooks with peeling vegetables and things. He had helped the servants and maids in the castle when they were overworked, even though he was overworked constantly.

Morgana and Arthur stood in the audience with Gwen and Gaius, watching the boy with dark, grieving eyes. Uther stood alone on the balcony.

Merlin grinned at Arthur, Gaius and Gwen, then looked up at Morgana and winked at her.

"Uther Pendragon. You have killed countless of innocents, I am but another in your life. You burn, hang, decapitate children, men, women in the name of law and under the guise of them committing treason by helping grow their crops to survive the winter, or healing a baby who would've died had they not had help." Merlin started to speak, addressing Uther calmly.

**TBC**

**I know it is stupid to stop there, but I promised myself I would only ever write 200 words per chapter, so I have to stick with it or else.**


	12. Chapter 12 Treason must be punished pt 2

**Part 2, read and review please**

"_Uther Pendragon. You have killed countless of innocents, I am but another in your life. You burn, hang, decapitate children, men, women in the name of law and under the guise of them committing treason by helping grow their crops to survive the winter, or healing a baby who would've died had they not had help." Merlin started to speak, addressing Uther calmly._

"Let this be a lesson to all those who believe they can get away with practicing magic." Uther interrupted Merlin's speech as he addressed the population, all of which were glaring at Uther with mixtures of hatred, disgust, pain and hurt.

"I haven't finished talking." Merlin stopped him from speaking, the boy's voice was filled with warning and control. " You are killing me with no proof to back your claim. I will tell you now, I do have magic. I have since I was born. I was not given a choice to use it or not, it has always been there. Since coming to Camelot, I have only used my magic to save your son and Camelot from harm. I willingly put forward my own life in place for Arthur's, and I would've died for him had there not been outside interference. Even with all that has happened to me. You hunted down my father and forced him to abandon us, you killed friends and fellow citizens because you thought they used magic. I have only one thing to say. I forgive you." Merlin spoke, his voice confident and clear, so different to the shy, timid voice everyone knew.

**TBC**

**Again, it is probably annoying having it in parts, but I am going to stick to 200 words only, so I am sorry if it annoys you too much.**


	13. Chapter 13 Treason must be punished pt 3

**Part 3:**

_You hunted down my father and forced him to abandon us, you killed friends and fellow citizens because you thought they used magic. I have only one thing to say. I forgive you." Merlin spoke, his voice confident and clear, so different to the shy, timid voice everyone knew._

"You admit to committing treason?" Uther smirked, realising that this would get his son and ward back on his side.

"I admit to having magic and using that magic to save lives. I do not admit to betraying my Prince and city." Merlin corrected.

"Burn him." Uther commanded the guards. The pair paused, glancing at each other, then at Merlin who smiled at them softly and reassuringly. The pair of guards had talked with Merlin during many late night-shifts, the boy always staying up into the late hours of the night to complete the Prince's chores for the next day.

The guards set fire to the twigs and one of them whispered to Merlin, "Forgive us?"

"You have families to look after, this is not your fault or doing. This is Uther." Merlin told them. "Uther, you have been given chance after chance to change your ways," Merlin called up to the King, ignoring the sting of the smoke as the flames begin to flicker and lick at his feet. "Each time you ignored the warnings and offers. You alone are responsible for what is to happen next." Merlin threw his head back and roared, "Alor eorðdraca! Cuman ábidde mec!"

**TBC**

**Only one more part, then it is finished.**


	14. Chapter 14 Treason must be punished pt 4

**Yay! It's the fourth and last part.**

There was a giant roar in response, and the Great Dragon, which everyone thought Arthur had killed swooped in and dived down, talons stretched out.

Arthur and his Knights dove for weapons and lifted them, aiming arrows at the dragon. Arthur watched as Merlin's eyes flashed and the arrows all disappeared from the air, never hitting the dragon. His eyes flashed again, and the flames went out, just as his bindings dissolved. The dragon's claws gently encircled Merlin's waist and the dragon was flying off before any guards could get organised and shoot at it. Merlin never glanced back at the castle.

'_I will be back, my Prince. You will reunite magic and non-magic and become the greatest King known.'_ Merlin's voice echoed in Arthur's head, causing the Prince to jump and stare in shock after the receding figure. Merlin added, _'So don't get killed, I won't be there to save you at the moment.'_

Gaius, Gwen and Morgana all were weeping shamelessly in pure joy at Merlin surviving, Uther was furious but Arthur ignored them. He watched as Merlin disappeared and vowed that he would get Merlin back to Camelot, no matter what happened or how long it took.


	15. Chapter 15  I have magic, So do I

"Merlin, is Gaius here?" Morgana asked, her face twisted with fear and panic. She had burst into the room only to find Merlin here, sweeping the floors.

"No, he went out to a patient. Can I help?" Merlin asked, watching as she twisted her dress in her fingers. Morgana glanced around, tears building in her eyes.

"I'm scared and I don't know what to do." Morgana whispered, trying not to cry.

"You'll be fine, the nightmares will stop and –" Merlin started to say, finding it hard to lie to her.

"It's not the nightmares." Morgana snapped, before looking around the room for eavesdroppers, "Promise you won't tell anyone? I need help, and I don't know who to go to."

"Of course, I promise."

"It's magic. I have magic. What do I do? If Uther finds out he'll execute me, like he has hundreds of others." Morgana clutched at Merlin's arm, looking at him with wide, pleading eyes.

Merlin's mind snapped, and he disregarded both Gaius' and the Great Dragon's words and gently guided Morgana to a bench. "You just need to learn control. I'll teach you. I have magic too, I'm not lying. I promise I'll look after you."


	16. Chapter 16  Cinnamon Rolls

"Merlin, I'm starving!" Arthur groaned, leaning against a log in front of the fire.

A roll of some kind was shoved into his face, and Merlin sat opposite him, eating a roll similar to his.

"What is this?"

"It's a cinnamon roll." Merlin mumbled through his food.

"That is?" Arthur asked, sniffing it.

"It's layers of pastry rolled up with cinnamon, honey and nuts wrapped up with it. It's sweet. Just try it, it's not poisoned, I already ate a bit to check for you." Merlin explained, having stuffed his face and already finished his piece.

"Who made it?" Arthur asked, poking it with his other hand.

"Just try it, for god sakes!" Merlin groaned. "Either that or give it to me, I'll happily eat it for you."

"I'll try it." Arthur said defensively, holding the roll away from Merlin's outstretched fingers. Arthur sniffed the roll one last time, and bit into the edge, making sure not to bite too much in case it was horrible. To his surprise, the roll was a mixture of nuttiness and sweetness that melted on the Prince's mouth. "Mmm, this is good." Arthur asked curiously, "Who made it?"

"Me." Merlin grinned happily.

"It's horrible."


	17. Chapter 17  Chasing after a scarf

"Who cares about it? It's only a scarf." Merlin shouted up to Arthur, who was currently crawling along a thin tree branch over a lake to grab his scarf that had gotten stuck in a tree.

"It's important to me." Arthur grunted back.

"Because Gwen made it?" Merlin asked, cheeky grin on his face. Arthur didn't respond. "Arthur, you're going to fall in, the branch isn't going to be able to support your weight."

"Are you calling me fat?" Arthur asked, turning to glare at Merlin.

"Yes I am. Now get down before you fall into the lake."

"And I'm not fat." Arthur argued back, turning to inch forward towards the scarf.

"Yes you are. You've had two pieces of cake, sausages and eggs just for breakfast. Don't forget about lunch too." Merlin listed.

"Shut up Merlin." Arthur groaned and moved forward along the branch. He reached out, and his fingers scraped against the material, just as the branch cracked and Arthur fell into the water.

He resurfaced, spluttering and spitting out water. Merlin looked at him once and burst into laughter.

"Shut it Merlin." Arthur ordered.

Merlin shook his head, and said through his laughter, "Told you you'd fall."


	18. Chapter 18 All green and slimy and warty

"Gwen! Quick, you have to come quick!" Merlin said, grabbing the maid and pulling her down the corridor. Gwen struggled to keep up with the boy's sprint and keep a-hold of the basket in her arms.

"Merlin! What's going on?" Gwen demanded, jerking her arm out of his hand and stopping. "I will gladly come with you to help, but explain what is going on."

"Arthur needs your help. I'll explain in his rooms, let's go, please?" Merlin pleaded, looking frantic and worried.

"No, tell me now." Gwen asked cautiously. She could sense the boy's fear and was worried, but something told her to get all the information out of the servant before going anywhere.

"." Merlin spoke quickly, his words blending into one.

"What?" Gwen asked not understanding a single word.

Merlin sighed and repeated slowly, "I was cleaning his room and walked in on him in bed sleeping and something happened and now he is a toad and you have to kiss him to turn him back."

Gwen blinked twice, not believing Merlin. "Arthur's a toad?"

"Yes. All green and slimy and warty. Please, you have to hurry."

"I'm busy Merlin, you go kiss him." Gwen walked off.


	19. Chapter 19  Playing what?

Arthur sighed, looking at his room with laundry on the floor, food from yesterday still on the table, boots still covered in mud and armour still unpolished.

"Where the hell is Merlin?" Arthur groaned, annoyed that his servant hadn't done any of his chores yet. He sighed and left to go find the servant.

Entering the Court Physician's chambers, he found the old man stirring a potion. "Gaius, do you know where Merlin is? The lazy git hasn't done any work today."

"I assumed he was with you sire, or out doing errands for you at least." Gaius shrugged.

"When I find the boy, I am going to put him in the stocks myself." Arthur hissed.

Just then, they heard a triumph shout and turned to look at Merlin's room. Arthur entered cautiously to find Merlin sitting on his bed, cross-legged, staring down at the laptop in his lap.

"Merlin?" Arthur asked, a little worried as the servant looked up. Merlin obviously hadn't been looking after himself. At all.

"Sire, I was just playing a game. I'll do my chores in a moment." Merlin muttered, glancing back down at the laptop and continued tapping away.

"What are you playing?"

"Neopets."


	20. Chapter 20  I'm not stupid

"Merlin, spit out what it is that's on your mind. Your silence is annoying me." Arthur demanded, worried for his friend.

"Nothing's wrong." Merlin insisted, shaking his head to emphasis the negative.

"Sure there isn't. you've been cleaning that boot for the past 40 minutes. What is it?" Arthur asked, more gently this time.

"Between all your chores and Gaius', I've barely had anytime to sleep and eat." Merlin let out a nervous laugh and swapped boots.

"Sure, now what is really bothering you?" Arthur sighed, tired of his servant lying.

"Nothing. Honest."

"Merlin."

"It's just something that I can't tell you, it's nothing big, it's just, I am trying to figure it out." Merlin sighed, giving in quickly.

"Your magic?" Arthur asked, hiding a smirk at the absolute panic on Merlin's face.

"What?"

"Your magic. You are a sorcerer, aren't you?" Arthur asked, amusement in his face.

"Yes, no, I mean, no, I'm not, I don't know where you got that ridiculous idea from. Me magic? Ha!" Merlin nervously chuckled.

"Merlin, I'm not stupid." Arthur sighed. "I knew you had magic a while ago."

"Really?" Merlin asked. Arthur nodded. "Oh thank god! I thought you were blind and stupid."


	21. Chapter 21  Being ten years old again

"Merlin, are you sure there isn't any way to fix this? Now?" Gwen asked, tugging at the slightly too big clothes.

"It wears off in a month." Merlin promised, slipping his bag over his shoulders. "Besides, this should be fun! You, me, Arthur and Morgana together all day! For a month!" Merlin cheerfully whistled, leaving the physician's chambers and linking arms with Gwen as they went to meet Arthur and Morgana.

"Arthur! Morgana!" Merlin cheerfully called out, skipping down the corridor with Gwen.

"Merlin, you are going to pay for this." Arthur growled, opening his door with a pouting face.

"How is it my fault?" Merlin asked, confused.

"It was your spell that went crazy!" Arthur sulked, following the two servants to Morgana's room.

"I think it'll be fun to be cute again and avoid getting in trouble for anything. I think this will be a great four weeks." Morgana announced, joining the trio.

"Exactly. So you two grumpy-pants can suck it up and enjoy it, or sulk the entire time while Morgana and I will have fun."

"We're going to school, how can it be fun?"

"I don't know Arthur, being ten years old could be fun." Merlin grinned.


	22. Chapter 22 Purple hippos and moving cups

"When I asked you to get a drink with me Merlin, I didn't expect only one was needed to get you smashed." Gwaine laughed, as Merlin swayed in the chair, hiccupping and giggling.

"I'm not (hic) drunk." Merlin pouted momentarily before grabbing Gwaine's drink and sculling it down. Turning to Arthur, who carefully grabbed his drink and edged it away from Merlin.

"Merlin, you are drunk." Arthur sighed, signalling to the bartender for a glass of water.

"Are there purple (hic) hippos dancing around (hic) with flowers on their (hic) heads and pink (hic) polka-dotted aprons (hic)?" Merlin hiccupped.

"What?" Lancelot asked, not understanding the drunken boy.

"Cause I can (hic) make that happen." Merlin giggled. Seconds later, everyone in the bar stared as purple hippos with flowers on their heads and pink polka-dotted aprons danced around in a conga-line. As quickly as it happened, they disappeared and Merlin laughed again. "How about (hic) moving cups? Then (hic) they can bring us (hic) drinks without us (hic) actually moving." Merlin stared at the cups which moments later began moving about, jumping around and spilling their contents everywhere.

Lancelot sighed and groaned. "Never again, will I let a sorcerer get drunk."


	23. Chapter 23  Broken down in the rain

"Merlin. This is your fault."

"Why is it always my fault? You're the one who insisted on using the tired, old horses instead of waiting 30 minutes for new ones." Merlin grumbled, annoyed at Arthur for insisting on this ride.

"You are the servant. I am the Prince. Therefore, it is always your fault." Arthur snapped, cold in his armour that just emphasised the temperature, but didn't offer any warmth.

"OK. But if you're the Prince, then you should be the smart one and fix this problem."

"We'll have to walk back."

"No, I'm not walking!"

"Yes you are. And you are going to carry all this stuff." Arthur gestured to the contents of the cart.

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"I am your Prince and I order you to do what I say!" Arthur and Merlin stared at each other for a moment before a rumble of thunder interrupted their staring competition and the heavens opened up and started pouring down rain on the pair.

"Great. This is just great. Let's go, we might make it back in time for dinner." Merlin sighed, slinging the bags onto his shoulders.


	24. Chapter 24 I just don't get it

"I just don't get it Arthur." Merlin sighed, annoyed at not understanding.

"What is there not to get, Merlin? This and this make that." Arthur turned to his friend, happy to help him out.

"But how do they make that?" Merlin asked, his eyebrow's furrowing together.

"They bond together in a combining thingy and form a new thingy." Arthur pointed to the page, then at the objects in front of them.

"But why?" Merlin turned to Arthur, staring at him in confusion.

"Because they were mixed together."

"But why did we do that?"

"Because that is what we did."

"But why?"

"Because that was what we are doing."

"OK." Merlin grinned and nodded once, before turning back down to his book and writing down the answers. The pair was quiet for a few moments, only the scratching of the pen making noises. Merlin's pen froze, and the boy turned to Arthur again. "Arthur?"

"What Merlin?" Arthur asked, momentarily worried about what the boy was going to ask.

"Why is that what we are doing?" Merlin asked, confusion on his face again.

Arthur let out a groan, and dropped his head onto the desk. "It just is Merlin, it just is."


	25. Chapter 25 Missing hair

"Do this Merlin, do that Merlin, clean my boots Merlin, mop my floor Merlin." Merlin muttered, mimicking Arthur.

He scrubbed furiously at the boot in his hands and dipped the brush into the soapy water. Reaching for it again, it slipped through his fingers and fell to the floor. Merlin sighed and leaned forward to pick it up, causing the boot to slip off of his lap and onto the floor; the clean, wet boot falling onto the dirty floor.

"Damn it!" Merlin growled, picking the now dirty boot up again, staring at the dirt and hair on the boot with a feeling of despair. Now he had to clean it again. Actually, maybe he didn't. Merlin glanced up at the closed door and quickly thought of the spell to use. Not noticing the door swing open and Arthur walk in, Merlin grinned and said, "_Glanhewck yr holl gwallt a baw oddi wrth y gwrthrych_" his eyes flashing gold as the dirt and hair on the boot fell off.

Arthur's sudden yelp made Merlin bolt upright, the boot falling on the ground once more. Staring at Arthur, Merlin couldn't form any words.

"YOU MADE MY HAIR FALL OUT!" Arthur screamed.


End file.
